World Mental Health Day – How Mental Health Impacts Physical Health
World Mental Health Day is on Oct. 12, 2021. On this day, the goal is to raise awareness for mental health around the world. It is also a day to promote dialogue around mental health and to remove the social stigma.
When it comes to mental and physical health, it is important to understand that there is a fundamental connection. A person experiencing mental health issues will also suffer physical health consequences and vice versa. When this happens, a person’s quality of life is severely affected.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the relationship between mental and physical health have not been more evident than in the area of chronic conditions. The associations between mental and physical health:
- Poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions;
- Those with serious mental health conditions are at a higher risk of experiencing chronic physical conditions than those without mental health conditions; and
- Those with chronic physical conditions are at a higher risk of developing poor mental health.
Who Is Affected by Mental Health Illness?
Anyone from any background can suffer from mental health illness. It does not 
discriminate. We must understand that we all have mental health, but we will not all suffer from a mental health illness. Data gathered by the Canadian Mental Health Association reveal that:
- In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness;
- By age 40, about 50% of the population will have or have had a mental illness;
- Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures; however, systemic inequalities such as racism, poverty, homelessness, discrimination, colonial and gender-based violence, among others, can worsen mental health and symptoms of mental illness, especially if mental health supports are difficult to access;
- Major depression affects approximately 5.4% of the Canadian population, and anxiety disorders affect 4.6% of the population;
- About 1% of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (formerly called “manic depression”), and another 1% will experience schizophrenia; and
- Substance use disorders affect approximately 6% of Canadians.
Link Between Chronic Physical Health Conditions and Depression and Anxiety
When a person suffers from a chronic physical health condition, the likeliness of them experiencing depression and anxiety is high. This link is known as co-existing mental and physical conditions and, together, they can drastically diminish one’s quality of life. The longer the illness lasts, the worse the health outcome becomes.
When a person begins to understand the connection between their body and mind, they can begin to develop a plan to help reduce the incidence of co-existing conditions.
What Causes Mental Health Illness?
There are many complex factors involved when it comes to mental illnesses. Genetics, biological, personality and environmental factors can all play a role. Individuals who have suffered from traumatic life experiences such as physical and/or mental violence during childhood or adulthood have an increased chance developing mental health issues and/or substance abuse problems.
How to Improve Mental Health
Managing mental health is the key to improving overall physical health. A person’s mental health experience is unique and there is no one size fits all solution. It is important to find activities and solutions that make sense for you! Some things to consider:
- Yoga and meditation.
- Healthy eating.
- Walking.
- Mindfulness activities.
- Any kind of exercise.
- Massages.
- Acupuncture.
- Reducing caffeine intake.
- Reducing screen time.
- Speaking with a psychologist or someone trained to support mental health.
For more information, read our blog How Mental Health is Important for Your Heart Health Too!
Taking care of your mental health is critical to managing your physical health. If you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness, depression, and/or anxiety and need help, call Distress Centre Calgary at 587-333-2724. You don’t have to feel alone – help is just a phone call away.
Resources:
https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/connection-between-mental-and-physical-health/
